God, I hate alarm clocks. Why can't they have a pleasant sound to wake people? Like, birds chirping, or really loud rain. Anything other than that loud, obnoxious beeping. I couldn't wait until tomorrow so I could get my paycheck. I was saving up all month for an iPod. I would have gotten it sooner, but Ma was laid off a month ago and we all needed to help financially. Liam and I both gave her the majority of our checks for a while, saving the precious rest for college and beyond. Little Margaret refused her weekly allowance. But now, Ma had gotten a new job, and you could feel it in the air. Everyone was happier. Well, except right now. We hated that alarm clock.

I sleepily glanced up and saw Liam stretching. Margaret woke up only for a second to slam the alarm quiet. She had a while more to sleep since she was only in seventh grade. Lucky booger. Liam was in tenth, and I was ninth. We locked eyes for a moment, and I nodded. He could use the bathroom first. Smiling, he grabbed some of his clothing and ambled to the bathroom. I frowned, but reminded myself that I had to be a good person today. See, if you didn't take the first shower, then you got cold water, AND you had to cook breakfast. It was a lose-lose-lose situation. But, I felt like my karma has sucked lately, and I needed all the good luck I could get for the next couple days. Exams….ahhh. Oh, and Liam wasn't the best cook, either.

Forcing myself out of the warm twin bed, I plodded into our kitchen and glanced in the fridge. Not much, since grocery day was tomorrow. Oh well, we had to make do. Cereal with bananas was just dandy for me.

I left Liam's, Margaret's, and Mom's bowls of cheerios with chopped bananas out on the table, along with a cup of milk each. But I didn't feel like sitting at the table, so I plopped down into Dad's old recliner. I missed Dad. He had died when I was six in a fishing accident. I miss him a lot. Glancing around our small apartment, I realized I really missed Ireland too. At our old house in Ireland, everyone had their own room, and we had three bathrooms. Not one, like now, but three! But, after Dad died, Ma decided it was best we move to the US. Seattle, Washington, to be specific. Why Seattle? No idea.

"Kathleen, go take a shower!" Liam's sudden yell snapped my out of my thinking. He was sitting at the table, fully dressed with wet hair. I walked to the sink to clean my bowl. "Aren't you going to dry your hair?" He snorted, "Won't make a difference."

It was true. When I walked into the bathroom, the tiny window revealed it to be a gray, rainy day. Of course.

The morning went smoothly, without any surprises or variations. I took my cold shower, got dressed, and got ready for school. Liam and I went into Ma's room to tell her goodbye, and Margaret woke up just as we were leaving. The bus was late, as usual, and we got to school late, as usual. So of course, I received a big fat pink detention slip that read KATHLEEN CORMAC. Great.

The rest of the day was boring as ever, but I paid special attention in every one of my classes since Exams were beginning tomorrow. I couldn't wait…

The only thing that brightened my day just the tiniest bit was Kyle. Goodness, he was amazing. Everything the modern teenage girl could ask for. Charming, polite, smart, and extremely kind. Liam called him a pansy behind his back, but I always ignored him.

So, anyway, Kyle sat with our small group of people today. It was pure bliss to talk to him. I honestly can't recall what we talked about, but I'm fine with that. Just so I could assure him that I knew who he was and acknowledged him.

Lunch ended too soon, and the day reverted back to it's boring, dreadful self. The buses finally came, to my relief. On the way home, I began to strategically plan out my day. Attempt to knock out my homework in the hour that I had when I got home, then catch the bus to work. Either that or walk. After work, get home somehow, and help Margaret with dinner. Liam wouldn't be home until seven, Ma until nine-thirty.

I realized I had left my history book at school the moment I sat down at home. Damnit. Good thing that Exam wasn't tomorrow. Recognizing that I now had no homework, I helped Margaret with her algebra. The quadratic formula? No big deal. Once I explained it to her seventh grade style, she understood immediately and no longer needed my help. She was a smart girl. But an odd one, at that. While Liam and I had taken after Dad's looks, Margaret had taken after Ma. Liam and I both had fair, freckly skin, with dark red/brown hair. We were built the same too, exceptionally thin, long limbed, and tremendously tall. (Liam was a proud six foot seven, while I was a healthy five foot eleven.) Meanwhile, Margaret had some of the brightest blonde hair you have ever seen, probably the color would end up with if you spray painted a lemon a light silver. She also was very thin and long limbed, but she was also tiny, barely making it past the five foot mark.

My watch buzzed, indicating it was time to get to work. I changed into my uniform, grabbed my bag, and kissed Margaret goodbye. Running down the steps, I realized I was very, very late. And I had missed the bus too! Ugh! I was going to have to run to work. Luckily, the Subway where I worked wasn't very far. Only a half mile or so.

Thank goodness I was in shape, too. It wasn't until I was turning my last corner that I began breathing a bit heavy from my run/sprint to work. It wasn't until my last corner that I noticed someone was following me, too.